They were words to live by for singer-songwriter, musician and actor Ricky Nelson:

"But it's all right now, I learned my lesson well/You see, you can't please everyone, so you got to please yourself."

"To me it's really cool if you know the story. It makes even more sense," said Gunnar Nelson about his late father's 1972 song "Garden Party." "But as a chorus, the song can be related to by everybody."

The "can't please everyone" chorus and the song itself refer to a performance Ricky Nelson gave in 1971 at Madison Square Garden. "He always wanted to play the Garden," his son said. The audience was expecting the former rock/pop teen idol of the late 1950s and early '60s to play some of the old hits ("I'm Walkin'," "Poor Little Fool," "Lonesome Town," "Travelin' Man"), but people were apparently taken aback when Nelson started singing new material.

"It was a little too different for that audience to grasp," Gunnar Nelson said. "He got booed off the stage by 20,000 people."

But, as Ricky Nelson also wrote in "Garden Party," "If you gotta play at garden parties, I wish you a lotta luck/ But if memories were all I sang, I'd rather drive a truck."

Lo and behold, "Garden Party" became Nelson's first hit single (also the title song of an album) in several years. He took an event that could have crushed someone, Gunnar Nelson said, "and turned it into a triumph."

Such are some memories of Ricky Nelson, literal and figurative. Gunnar and his twin brother Matthew Nelson are keeping them very much alive with their show "Ricky Nelson Remembered Featuring Matthew and Gunnar Nelson," which is coming to The Hanover Theatre for the Performing Arts for a performance at 8 p.m. Aug. 2.

The show is "a high-energy rock concert" and also a multimedia event with film and television clips. Gunnar Nelson called his father "arguably the most televised rock star in history." That was due to being seen on "The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet," a sitcom based on the real life Nelson family. Ricky Nelson's father, Ozzie, was a famous big band leader while his mother, Harriet, was a popular singer. The show ran on ABC from 1952-66 and was a springboard for Ricky Nelson both as a singer and an actor (his acting credits include the 1958 Western film classic "Rio Bravo").

Matthew and Gunnar Nelson have taken the Nelson family to a third generation of chart success. As the rock duo Nelson, they hit No. 1 in 1990 with the song "Love & Affection." from their debut album "After the Rain."

Their father didn't live to see it. Ricky Nelson died in a plane crash on Dec. 31, 1985, at the age of 45.

Matthew and Gunnar were 18 at the time of the crash, but Gunnar has plenty of memories about his father. "He was our best friend," he said.

What was he like? "I think remarkable would be the word to use ... He was the kindest kind of person you would ever want to meet."

The twin brothers were starting to make their way as musicians in the Los Angeles club scene around the time of their father's death. Asked if he gave them any professional advice, Gunnar Nelson recalled " 'Keep your sense of humor. And if you're gonna do this, please be songwriters first.' "

Ricky Nelson wrote the lyrics for a number of his songs right from the beginning of his career. While he got particular joy from "Garden Party," Gunnar Nelson said "he was still proud of those early hits."

The advice is more than applicable today, he added. "I feel sorry for a lot of people out there (performing) nowadays — they have no way of knowing how wonderful it feels to write some poetry for an experience."

As a performer, Ricky Nelson also had his telegenic good looks going for him, and his family background no doubt helped make his songs come across as very well crafted. Nelson's voice had a mellow quality to it that increasingly lent itself to a country-type of sound and rockabilly songs, culminating in him forming his own country rock group, the Stone Canyon Band. The album "Garden Party" was released by Rick Nelson (he had dropped the "y") and the Stone Canyon Band.

"I think he was the happiest he ever was when he was with the Stone Canyon Band," Gunnar Nelson said.

But it was also a life and career of ups and downs, as "Garden Party" might attest. There would never be a comparable hit after "Garden Party."

By Gunnar's acknowledgement, "He went through a pretty ugly divorce." During divorce proceedings Ricky Nelson was accused of heavy drug use.

As 1986 seemed to stretch ahead, however, things were once again looking promising.

"He was starting to write again. There was a new appreciation for the rockabilly stuff," Gunnar Nelson said.

"He would probably have gone on to be enjoyed more fully by the American country market. But I know the road was always calling his name."

Matthew and Gunnar Nelson have maintained active music careers. Gunnar Nelson remembers coming to Worcester around 1990 and having a lengthy meet and greet session in a local record store.

"There's a very particular, very hearty person that lives in Worcester. People are very passionate. I'm looking forward to going back there," he said.

He and his brother first took "Ricky Nelson Remembered ..." on the road eight years ago. "I always say, my father's never missed a show," Gunnar Nelson said.

As for who else might be in the audience, "When we started out it was people of our dad's age. But word has spread. What we're seeing is a truly multigenerational audience. It's really cool," he said.

The show itself is "a real education about rock and roll history. When the kids leave there's a new appreciation dawning on them. It's pretty cool to see."

A portion of the proceeds from the show will go to benefit The Station Fire Memorial Foundation. Matthew and Gunnar Nelson have also donated an autographed guitar and a private dinner with themselves and two guests, both to be auctioned the night of the concert. The goal of the foundation is to establish a memorial for the victims of the Feb. 20, 2003, fire at The Station nightclub in West Warwick, R.I. "Both Matthew and I have met several families who lost loved ones in the Station fire, and we also have many fans that are survivors," Gunnar Nelson said. "We honor their memory, and celebrate this modest effort with hopes that the Worcester and surrounding communities react with a huge response. Music heals, and this is our way of helping."

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